St. Paul boy whose feet were severed taking first steps

ST. PAUL, Minn.—A 9-year-old boy whose feet were severed by a freight train has taken his first steps on prosthetics.

Marshawn Farr-Robinson calmly pulled himself to help after the accident in his St. Paul neighborhood last August. He hopped on his damaged legs and when he couldn't do that anymore, he crawled 165 feet through rocks and brush until someone saw him and called for help.

It took four months for Marshawn's injuries to heal enough to allow him to try on his new prosthetic lower legs and feet and to take his first steps.

Marshawn Farr-Robinson, 9, lost both feet when he fell while playing near railroad tracks close to his home.

"It was awesome," he said.

Learning to walk again will take time, but Marshawn is clearly eager to get back to life as he once knew it. When he left the watchful eye of his mother to spend the holidays with other relatives, he overdid it.

"I weared them too long," he said of his artificial limbs. At the moment his legs are too sore to wear the prostheses at all, and he acknowledges he's kind of disappointed.

Kim Farr, who also cares for three other children, said Marshawn doesn't always say when he's hurting.

"I work in the medical field, and until you really have to go through it, you don't know," Farr said. "Kids, adults, they come in with prostheses, I take care of them—but until you are at home doing it yourself, you don't know.